Page 455 - Neglected Arabia (1906-1910)

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crates, o- icking, and when all was on the verandah, two hundred
packages great and small, and we were waiting for the coolies to
take them to the small boats tor the ship, we felt like the old lady
who was getting into a street car with her ten children. The con­
ductor, after helping her and the youngsters aboard, in a friendly
mood said, “Are these all yourn or are you going to a picnic ?” She
said, “TheyTe all mine, and it’s no picnic.”
We had a stormy passage, and on the day we reached Muscat a
very unusual storm was raging. We had a great deal of difficulty
in getting ashore in the Muscat small boats, and our furniture was
badly scratched and broken, in spite of all the care we had taken in
packing and handling it. Mr. and Mrs. Barny and the children had \
intended leaving for America by the same ship, but the ship
dragged anchor, and the captain steamed away without them.
A stormy passage and landing seemed to portend what was 1
awaiting us on shore, as the Sultan showed a fearful dislike to the
idea of a Medical Missionary entering his dominions. Mr. Barny
and I were called before the Sultan and told that there were already
sufficient doctors in his realm, and I must leave, at least not prac­
tice. We pointed out that there was only one doctor in Muscat, I
and none at all in Muttrah, unless he counted the native “hakims,” I
who could not even remove a splinter from a foot without exposing
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the patient to blood poison; that there would be plenty of work for
at least six doctors in either place mentioned, and, more than that,
our treaty gives us the right to practice here, especially while there i
is a doctor of another nation doing so. \
The opposition continued, and as the only American repre­ 4
sentative is a deputy consul, who is a Moslem and a British Indian
subject, the amount of support and assistance I received may be
imagined. This is the only representative we have from Beyrout
to Baghdad, a distance by coast line of five thousand miles. The
matter has now been referred to Washington, where I hope that
not only this difficulty will be satisfactorily settled, but that at least
one properly trained consul may be appoined for this coast with
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residence at Muscat.
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After some difficulty we secured a house in Muttrah, and by
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repairs and a few changes we have made it habitable. When the
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small consignment of medicines that I had ordered from India
arrived I began seeing patients in Muscat, and in a few days had all
: 1 could attend to. This was done while repairs, overseen by my l
partially trained compounder, were being pushed on the house at t
Muttrah. We finally moved on the instalment plan, in order net !
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to close the Dispensary to those who came for medical relief. I
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had to do this work alone, except for such help as my wife could r
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